


Beloved Weakness

by ZoinksSc00b



Series: Left Behind [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Forced Pregnancy, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:33:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26621455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoinksSc00b/pseuds/ZoinksSc00b
Summary: Slick hated the position he was given so he did what he thought was right in order to escape it. If only he had known his life would get so much worse because of his actions.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/Slick (Star Wars)
Series: Left Behind [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1936636
Comments: 21
Kudos: 38





	1. Abandoned

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr is @iputtheaceindisgrace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for Slick/Cody week.

His instincts were a burden.

Or maybe it was the lack of input bothering him.

Cody questioned if certainty would have been better. His hand often found its place grazing his neck and he wondered if it had always been so unmarred. Of course, Cody had never had a mate despite the regret he might feel towards the subject. He had loved someone far more than could ever be returned and no matter how much he played it off as if he didn't care...

He had hated the way Slick had thrown everything to the fire for his own selfish gain. And for what? The half-baked promises of freedom from a dar'jetii which had resulted in him being stripped of even the tiniest strands of individuality. He had been shocked and furious at Slick for daring to commit the atrocities he had, but that was what he told his general when he had tried to console him.

Deep down he had known Slick was the traitor, but he couldn't believe Slick would abandon their brothers or him. Many nights had been spent whispering their grievances over the system in place with legs intertwined and blacks thrown roughly to the floor. Cody had not once heard Slick speak any ill towards their vode. He could understand Slick's hatred towards the natborns, even the Jedi if he suspended his disbelief, because he had witnessed the horrible treatment of omega clones as he had matured. Yet, none of them held the same distaste as Slick.

Fox didn't trust natborns, but he could tolerate them. Rex had been intimate with one as a cadet and he seemed to be getting along well with his general. Keeli had a pup on the way that had been sired by General Di so it was safe to assume he was okay with natborns.

Slick loathed anyone who wasn't a clone. An opinion Cody finally recognized the severity of when all the signs of betrayal began pointing towards Slick.

Of course, he had been mad at Slick after the initial reveal and the days following his removal, but then the worry set in. He had watched Slick's unit move on and it felt wrong. They never got any news back on what was done to him and he wasn't blind to how his brothers were being monitored for weeks after.

Slick was right to claim he was brainwashed because he had blindly trusted a person who clearly had bad intentions. His lover but more importantly his friend had done an unforgivable act in their culture: the murder of aliit. Cody could've stopped it before it had happened if he had only tried to talk Slick out of it or maybe he should've turned Slick in the first time he spoke against the Republic.

Cody had put his desire in front of the safety of his men and he had paid dearly for it. The needs of the whole outweighing the needs of the few was a concept ingrained in him by the Kaminoans and later by the Jedi. Through the Kaminoans, it was a means of which to remind his vode of how they were no more than another part of a machine. Through the Jedi, it was a reminder that every life had worth.

Slick had bastardized the Jedi and their viewpoints to fit a mold in order to justify his actions. He had taken the words of the Kaminoans and Separatists over his brothers and their Jedi. There was no validity in his statement. Everything he had done and believed was wrong.

_Everything_.

Even what Cody had agreed with. His motivation had not justified the results. Nothing would ever justify what he had done.

But, Cody would be lying if he said he wasn't also hurt by how freedom involved leaving him behind.

Because he still loved Slick despite the gaslighting and accusations. He was an asshole, a shabuir, a jackass, a bitch, a demalgolka, a di'kut, but most importantly he had been Cody's. Which was why he couldn't drop the habit of touching his neck in the spot he had hoped Slick would put a mating mark. However, Cody's future had involved Slick whereas Slick's had apparently never involved him.

He was such an idiot. He should let go and move on. There was nothing between them that would've lasted. They fought more often than not and no one knew how to piss him off faster than Slick. Cody hated the way Slick's eyes would shine as he pinned Cody to his bunk or the way he would lightly kiss him in thanks for helping him shave. He hated the tiny moments where Slick reminded him of why he stayed.

It was normal to want closure, right? Cody wished for a mark so he would finally have closure. That's all. The uncertainty would go away by its continued existence or a painful fade; either branded by a criminal or a sign of one's passing.

He would never admit he just wanted proof that Slick hadn't been decommissioned.


	2. Survival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slick? In my good fic? More likely than you think.

He hadn't been allowed to cut or shave his hair since he tried to kill himself with the razor they had given him. It had left him with curls that draped over his shoulders in a way they hadn't since he was a cadet. He had hated his hair then and he hated it now.

That was about a year ago.

A year of being trapped on Kamino.

Endless months stuck in his confined quarters helped him realize how little he knew about the place he had grown up in and the scientists who had created him. It had been ridiculous to assume that all of the long-necks were preoccupied with clone production and his seclusion reminded him of all the areas blocked off from the view of the clones.

It made sense that, as scientists, they would want to learn and observe from the specimen they had manufactured. In a way, he could excuse the actions of the Kaminoans. They saw him and his brothers as test subjects or droids. Nothing they did was out of malice unless someone directly pissed them off or paid them to act in such a fashion. What they did would make sense to any other business selling a product. Slick still fucking hated them. He wasn't some stupid droid.

Furthermore, the Jedi had no excuse for their lack of action in how his brothers were treated. They claimed to not see them as objects, yet they allowed them to be handled as such. He understood the inability to act against every wrong in the galaxy, but they had control over this. They had control of what was happening directly underneath them or maybe they were just willfully ignoring what the Kaminiise were doing.

His quarters were bland and stale and white like every other damn thing on Kamino. He had a bunk, a toilet, and a sink which was very exciting. He admitted that it was better than when he first arrived. He was actually receiving a healthy amount of food and water unlike the weeks of interrogation at the beginning. Apparently, the Kaminoans were wise enough to not teach the troopers how to withstand every form of torture.

He couldn't recall much of what happened after his mind broke and he spilled all the secrets he had ever kept. There was an examination chamber and blinding lights but they wouldn't let him cover his eyes and they kept _touching_ him where they shouldn't have. He woke up, lost and dazed, in the quarters he was now residing in. The time he had been under was unknown to him.

He had been both his healthiest and unhealthiest physically during his imprisonment on Kamino. He had a routine he went through that experienced little change and the Kaminoans had never stopped him from working out (They recognized he would never be able to escape. Where would he go? Who would take in a traitor?). He had more muscle definition now than before, but he also had a healthy distribution of fat. Which was a sharp contrast from when he could count his ribs and wrap his little finger and thumb around his wrist like it was nothing.

The thing was Slick might've been able to appreciate these things if it wasn't happening for the sole purpose of using him as breeding stock.

Because as he felt a soft tug on a curled lock he knew exactly who it was from. He smiled as he unwrapped his baby's hand from around his hair and set the fussy thing down on his lap from where they had been situated on his chest. They pouted for a moment, lips quivering and eyes pleading in a way that made Slick know his kid was going to be a brat, before accepting their location. They pressed their palms curiously against the bare stomach of their buir which was growing tight with their little siblings. Slick would confess he found it adorable how they would gravitate towards the unborn pups. It had gotten to the point where he would often watch his ik'aad fall asleep as they nuzzled against his midsection.

He knew the Kaminoans had inseminated him with Cody's pups. They hadn't told him, but he could tell as soon as his eldest was delivered and forced onto him. It was a cruel punishment far worse than the torture or isolation from anyone but the scientists and his pup.

He hadn't named the tiny bastard yet and he refused to hear the number the Kaminoans had given to him. Slick had tried pushing his baby away after the scientists tried to hand the child to him after the birth. He had struggled and shouted insults in a language they wouldn't understand. He had to be held down in order to breastfeed. Straining to look away, to pretend his life hadn't turned into an endless cycle of popping out children, a Kaminoan had forced his gaze towards the newborn with their oddly formidable and long fingers. Their goal had been to make him attached to the baby and it had worked effortlessly. 

Watching his eldest pat above where his siblings were growing made him reflect on how much he loathed his children being raised in this environment. It was one of the factors behind his suicide attempt during his first pregnancy. The long-necks had discussed tothers that were also being tested and he knew his ad went to socialize with pups his age when they weren't with him. The Kaminoans wouldn't let him in on what they were specifically studying him for or even how many pups were going to be in his next batch. For all he knew, it could be a form of justice. He could be replacing the soldiers he had cost them with his own blood.

The program had been going on since the first omega presented almost five years after the clones began being compiled. Some of the brothers who had been supposedly decommissioned over the years were being used as test subjects so the Kaminoans could understand their breeding capabilities. He also could discern his eldest had been a trial run in order to see how he took to pregnancy without interference.

His son smelled of fresh milk and, if Slick sniffed deeply into the tufts of black hair, there were the fiery undertones of Cody. He had been surprised and disturbed to find out he was expecting because he hadn't had sex in a way that would've gotten him pregnant since he was a cadet. The Kaminoans had tried to play it off as though his son had been conceived before his imprisonment which was some bullshit. As much as he enjoyed the thought of Cody carrying their children, it simply wasn't possible. Tearing his alpha apart had been a highlight of their relationship.

His _alpha_ , and he said it in his head with mockery, was a piece of shit. Also extremely cunning and hot when he had manipulated Slick into revealing his position. He was pretty sure Rex was the only thing that had kept them from making out after Slick had straddled Cody. Well, Rex and Slick's urge to beat Cody to a pulp.

Maybe he shouldn't have listened to a dar'jetii, but he would trade anything for his freedom _especially_ in his current situation (He concluded anything was a bit of a stretch as he glanced at the pup drooling on his stomach. Not his children. Never his children.).

He was selfish. He would never deny that. Cody could never understand why they needed to leave and that was why he had been so willing to abandon him. That's what he told himself. In truth, he comprehended the importance of Cody to the GAR. He saw how other people cared for him more than Slick could. People who would hunt them down just to secure Cody and leave Slick to the Kaminiise. He had wanted to turn to Cody, yet he was given another choice and he took it.

He obviously regretted his decision. Like all of his other vode who searched for individuality, he was denied. His life was more about surviving and keeping his children alive rather than actually living. Slick didn't know if he had ever lived a day of his life.

He didn't know if he would have the opportunity to.


	3. Hunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slick? You good, buddy?

Snapping their necks was as easy as Slick thought it was going to be. As a cadet, they had always seemed fragile and delicate; put just a slight pressure in the middle and the whole thing would collapse. The fear instilled in him at a young age had kept him from getting too close to a Kaminoan, but he had no choice anymore. They had defiled his body, his mind, and his child.

So he let the scientist touch him for the last time.

They had underestimated him. A singular long-neck had been deemed the maximum necessary to perform his check-ups. This change had been realized recently and he hadn't known what to do with the information. He was accustomed to a team of long-necks watching him because of his violent outbursts, yet he had become passive when the new pups started cooking. The desire to escape was always at the back of his mind, but if he failed there would be no second chances. Slick and his children would be decommissioned without hesitation or thought. They would only be lost data to the Kaminoans. A shame but replaceable nonetheless. 

As he entered the examination room, the scientist at his side led him to his eldest who cooed happily in their cot upon picking up their parent's scent. After looking the pup over as the long-neck studied from a distance, Slick slipped off his shirt before placing it on the end of the examination table. The tell-tale sound of note-taking occurred while Slick scooped up his son and allowed him to press his mouth against his breast.

The clacking of nailless fingers against a datapad was getting on the baby's nerves. They temporarily detached in order to whimper and inhale the comforting aroma of his buir. If he didn't dread punishment, he would've snarled at them for scaring his child.

All of the long-necks looked the same to Slick, so he couldn't tell if they were switching out the scientists every visit or if they were the same one. What he did notice, however, was that their neck was completely exposed. Usually, they would wear some sort of protection around their most vulnerable appendage. He hadn't noticed at the beginning, but now his eyes were drawn to this element.

Routine had kept him from deviating from the wants of the natborns. Little details passed by as he went through the tasks that made him sane. He didn't even need to be ordered to do anything anymore because of how used he was to it all. Nursing his child in front of one of the scientists still left him uncomfortable and jumpy, but he was no longer delayed in the feeding. He didn't wish for them to force him down again.

Once the child latched back on, he sat himself down on the examination table. He couldn't lay down because it would disrupt his child but he also preferred not to. Rather not have the Kaminii witness how much the babies had weakened him. At this stage during his first pregnancy, he hadn't been visibly expecting. His current pregnancy had resulted in his midsection protruding in front of him like he was in the third trimester, so he could deduce he was having a sizable litter. They had to have done something to cause his eggs to split or maybe they had inseminated him with multiples.

Somewhere between his pup falling asleep and the scientists confirming the health of the batch, Slick zoned in once more on the neck of the Kaminii. If he reached out-

But he stopped himself. He didn't know if the room was being monitored and he didn't want to prove that it was. Still. He imagined how his hands would feel wrapped around their neck as he set his child back in his cot. His chubby hands reached out as he cried at the loss of contact. The bawling engulfed the room when Slick had to separate further to put his shirt back on. The grey cloth stretched around his stomach, but it had yet to not fit him.

He had turned his back on his son for a second. His haste motivated by the sound of a baby begging for him in the only way they could. Swiveling around, Slick froze when he caught sight of the Kaminoan leaning over the crib. They were still taking their stupid fucking notes as they dissected his son's behavior. He didn't like the way their eyes glazed over in the presence of a desolate infant and he especially didn't like it when they reached out to poke _his_ child.

So maybe he got a little closer than he had intended.

And maybe he felt nothing but pleasure when they glanced back only to stare him in the face.

Maybe he had liked how they called out in surprise and tried to reach for their sedative or comm when he aimed for their throat.

Maybe he found it satisfying when their neck let out a resounding crack and they dropped limply to the floor. Eyes glazed over like before but for a very different reason. Their neck was broken closer to the base and the sudden, sharp bend made Slick smile. So it was true that Kaminoans had little to no flexibility in their necks.

He did adore how his son stopped wailing as soon as he was back in the safety of his arms. The baby began playing and tugging at his hair, putting strands in his mouth to chew on, and Slick allowed him to. He softly kissed their forehead before accessing his situation. The amount of time he had before the other scientists were aware of the incident was unknown. He studied the body on the floor and it was fulfilling to finally scrutinize a Kaminoan as they had him. They were still alive despite their inability to breathe or move. In a few minutes, they would be brain dead, but they would know how he had suffered in their final moments.

He got out of the room easily enough, closing the door behind himself just in case, and decided to go in the opposite direction of where his cell was. Using his hair as a pacifier worked for longer than he had imagined, so he wasn't shocked when his son started wiggling and sniffling. The baby was getting restless, so he cheated and placed his pup's nose directly on his scent gland. It calmed them down and lured them to sleep as he had hoped. Luckily, his son hadn't made any noise loud enough for anyone to hear but him.

With how similar every hallway was, Slick couldn't fathom how the Kaminoans got anywhere. If there was any feature he liked, it was how every echo rang clearly. He walked carefully on his path, but the scientists would be easily heard and smelled before he could see them. He could recognize the stench of spoiled rations from anywhere.

This was what stopped him from turning a corner: the tap of feet against the floor, the odor of a Kaminoan, and the echoing of words. Under that though was a more subtle, milky scent. As he peeked around the corner, he caught a glimpse of a kih'vod. He couldn't have been older than sixteen and he was already clutching the fabric around an overdue belly. His brother had tear stains running down his cheeks; his gaze turned down towards his stomach as he followed the scientist. The vod was subtly trembling which the Kaminii paid no notice to as they reminded the teenager of his place.

"You have cost us seven specimens, CT-0507," and it was like they were reprimanding a cadet for bad behavior. It was apathetic, soulless even, and the comment led to the brother covering his mouth as he choked out a sob. The Kaminoan gave them a side-eye before continuing, "We will have no choice in your removal if you continue to produce no viable offspring, but I am grateful for the opportunity to observe the inadequacies of the Jango Fett genome."

The brother smelled healthy to Slick with a strong pup on the way as well. Milk was overpowering his original scent and Slick didn't doubt his vod would have a successful delivery. For a clone so young, he had apparently had an abnormal amount of miscarriages and/or stillborns. Slick wondered if they kept him around to observe how consistently his body refused the pups because they hoped to comprehend what separated him from the other omegas. That was just a thought, but it was a cruel and real possibility.

He speculated briefly over who the unwitting sire, or sires, of his brother's pups was.

He didn't fall back into his corner quickly enough to not make eye contact with his vod. The brother had turned his stare so that he was looking past the Kaminoan and directly at Slick. His eyes widened for a split second, his crying halted, but then he resumed his sobbing. The Kaminoan was none the wiser that the clone next to them was showing where they had secured their sedative with a small movement of his head.

They had no means to prepare for Slick sneaking up behind them, slipping the sedative out of their pocket, and then stabbing them in the jugular or what Slick assumed was the jugular. Both CT-0507 and Slick regarded the scientist with disdain as they bled out on the floor. The younger brother rested a hand on his bump to soothe himself and his pup, but he exhibited the same apathy the Kaminoan had shown him. His face did soften though when he noticed Slick's son resting against his torso.

The kih'vod grabbed his hand slowly which Slick reciprocated by reassuringly squeezing the younger's. The physical contact was not something Slick had realized he needed. He could tell it had been a long time since either of them had been around another clone. A long time had passed since either of them had spoken anything but short responses to the Kaminoans, but neither of them moved to talk. They let each other go eventually, but just so they could make a break for the exit. Slick sprinted after CT-0507 who seemed to be far more familiar with the layout of the area they were in. With how far along both of them were, Slick had assumed there would be some difficulty but desperation outweighed their weakness.

They made their way to some sort of docking bay where Slick could finally make out the shapes of more vode. He could take in the perfume of salty water and relish in how close they were to escaping. Of course, that was when the two of them noticed the troopers and Kaminoans chasing after them. Slick couldn't speak on the topic of betrayal, but he couldn't believe those brothers were blindly following the orders of the Kaminoans. Did they know why they were chasing them? Had they found the two, dead scientists and kept the information about the breeding program from the brothers?

He should've expected the shot to come.

He should've...

He should've pushed his kih'vod out of the way.

Instead, he continued towards freedom as he heard the younger cry out in pain and hit the floor. He was selfish. He was a traitor and traitors left their vode behind. Burning cloth and milk and skin and blood filled the air around him and, with dawning certainty, he realized they had shot to kill.

A shot that should've been for him.

Slick had no idea what happened to the program after he escaped Kamino. He had no idea how they covered up the death of two scientists and a pregnant vod. All he knew was that he was free.

And he didn't deserve it.


	4. Redemption

He named his eldest Mav in honor of their newfound freedom (Cody might've appreciated the use of Mando'a. He hoped Cody would've liked what he had chosen. He hoped Cody would've loved their children.). At the end of the day, it wasn't Slick's freedom but Mav's. Mav had never breathed anything except the stale air of Kamino until they escaped. Mav seemed far more bubbly and content now despite everything they had been through.

He was certain his child had witnessed CT-0507 being shot down, woken by the movement of his buir, because as soon as it happened his child began quivering and tightly clenching his shirt. Too young to understand but Mav had developed the ability to comprehend that a bad odor meant nothing good.

CT-0507 was Slick's first, genuine regret. He didn't handle guilt well and his nights were haunted by a vod who never spoke. He only stared down at Slick in contempt with a dead pup in his arms and pups laying motionless on the floor around him. Slick would always wake up when the brother pressed his foot down as hard as he could to the closest baby which was wiggling around unlike their siblings. There were invisible hands around his neck that forced him to watch the baby struggle and cry out for the comfort of the person hurting them until there was a sickening crunch of bone.

He wished he had given Mav to the vod and told him to run. Let himself bear the consequences because CT-0507 really had nothing to do with either of the killings.

He had briefly contemplated leaving Mav with a nice family or at an orphanage. Cutting his hair for the first time in months, he had thought about slitting open his throat. He had needed to get over the urge every time he shaved, but he felt like himself with his old cut so it went back into his routine. If he ignored the baby bump, it was almost like he was back in the 212th and Cody was behind him inspecting his handiwork.

He started wearing an artificial scent when he arrived on Corellia (The planet was neutral enough in the war and was at a comfortable distance from Kamino.). Natborns may not know what a clone looked like, but the aroma of a clone to a natborn was distinct. The opportunity he was given wasn't going to be wasted because of some natborn turning him in. Besides, no one would hire someone who smelled like a droid. Apparently, no one would hire a pregnant omega either. Whether he presented himself as a null or omega didn't matter, but a null was sterile and he was obviously not.

Someone would question his existence if he ever stopped using the scents that made Mav glare at him and that fogged up their apartment with a pungent, chemically concoction. Mav hadn't taken kindly to the change of sweet milk to the artificial milk and Slick could understand because to anyone with a nose stronger than most species it smelled atrocious.

He did eventually get hired after realizing there were only two options for him as he was both pregnant and an omega. Slick admired the woman who ran the brothel, but she had refused to hire him after realizing he had a son and no means to watch over him while at work. Which left him with the other choice of becoming a waiter for a local diner. The owner had her grandchildren work for her during their breaks from academy, but she had no employees at the moment so Slick got hired fairly quickly. She was a lady who preferred doing everything herself and Slick could respect that. He was also relieved by her not asking for any personal documents. She had assumed he was another refugee who had been displaced by the war based on the lack of a mating mark, the pup at his hip, and the clear indication of more on the way. 

Slick didn't mind talking about his dead mate, Kote, around her. She seemed to empathize as she and her wife had been running the diner since they got married, but her partner had passed the year before. Two, female alphas in a relationship were rare, yet Slick was in no place to judge.

Sasme, the owner, was a reddish-brown Twi'lek with deep laugh lines and a kind face. She and her wife had been running the diner since they got married, but her partner had sadly passed the year before. Mav adored her almost immediately and, whenever the child wasn't with their buir, he could be found toddling after Sasme as she glided around the kitchen (Mav was new to walking, but he seemed to enjoy how his legs could carry him around places instead of relying on someone else.).

Slick was cautious around natborns, but he trusted Sasme with his pup. She could sense when either of them was getting irritated with the third occupant. Mav was taking to people surprisingly well and it was satisfying to see how entranced he was by all the different species and colors. His child hadn’t truly seen anything other than monotone hues.

Mav took delight in how flexible Sasme's lekku were and he would giggle whenever she wrapped a lek around his hand. He would pet and stroke them whenever Sasme carried him because he enjoyed how smooth the texture was. Slick had asked if Mav's fascination bothered her, but she had brushed the fact away like it was no big deal. According to the alpha, her kids had been worse and they even had their own lekku to play with.

Just like Mav had been, the pups in his womb were kickers. He should've expected that with who their sire was and he informed Sasme on the matter as he complained about the abuse his innards were enduring.

He wasn't aware of whether or not Mav should be sleeping on the bump, but Slick had grown up napping in dog piles so he didn't see the problem. The jerky movements of his siblings were finally something Mav could experience for himself; the boy would press his hands onto his carrier's belly with amazement as he had at the beginning of the pregnancy.

He had allowed Sasme to touch his stomach after weeks of deliberation and she had informed him that, based on what she could tell from her previous experience, he was having at least three pups. "At least three pups" was more precise than his prior knowledge of any amount more than one. He didn't plan on going to a doctor unless absolutely necessary because he had neither the money nor trust to have someone check the health of his pups.

Sasme was trustworthy, as far as he could tell, but he still held a mild disdain for other natborns. The customers were hospitable enough, yet sometimes they would get some shabuir who would try to feel him up. He had once been called a "fertile bitch" like it was supposed to be a compliment. It was gratifying to remind the alpha that the omega they were harassing was stronger and a more experienced fighter than them. Sasme had been more concerned with him hurting the pups than she had been with him kicking out a possible source of credits. Actually, she had been excited to have some extra muscle around for heavy-lifting.

Being paid for his work was extremely pleasant and it was nice to have his own space for once. His apartment was really just a large, spare room Sasme had above the diner, but she never intruded unless given permission.

Or unless it was needed.

Slick had gone into early labor two days before his active labor started. He hadn't wanted to alarm Sasme or have her take him to a professional. He was worried about the babies coming a month earlier than they should have, but he could sense that they were going to be fine.

_Hopefully_.

Slick hadn't anticipated the severe bleeding that would occur as his birth canal dilated. He had given Mav to Sasme to watch for the night under some poor excuse and he didn't regret that decision when his vision went blurry. After setting himself down on his bed, he placed his hand on his inner thigh instead of glancing down and brought it back up. His palm and fingers were coated in a thick layer of red that he decided to wipe against the sheets. It was already drenched in bodily fluids.

Laying down had helped his mind focus, but he could still feel it trickle down his legs. Out of the corners of his eyes, he glimpsed CT-0507 sitting at the corner of the bed and he pondered if he was going to die. The younger vod seemed to be paying him no mind as he rocked the infant in his arms. Slick had assumed he was going to have a little girl and that remained true in his hallucination.

Thoughts of his baby surged as his line of sight dwindled again. He had wasted his opportunity. He had turned away his only forms of redemption: saving his brother or raising his children. Deep down he was a killer no matter how hard he tried to separate from the past. What would Cody feel if he could see him right now?

Disgust.

Pity.

Hatred.

Love.

Fear.

There was one question bouncing around in his head in his final moments. It was pushed further by the brief peek of sorrow CT-0507 gave him before leaving him once more. The slow fade of the vod and his child solidified his notion.

Was his punishment losing his pups like CT-0507?


	5. Payback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie. This fic is me jotting down the canon of my AU so I don’t forget it later.

Waking up to the sight of one of his pups covered in a thick, red crust did not ease Slick's worry. They were being held by a human woman Slick had never seen before and, as the woman took a wet cloth to the baby, they started to squirm around in her embrace.

At least one of his children was alive. They were tinier than they ought to be, but they smelled strong under the scent of iron.

He weakly lifted his head to peek down at his legs and found the liquid on them hardened over. The sheets were definitely going to have to be replaced and the smell of death would stain the room for weeks. He thought about asking if Mav could stay with Sasme for a little bit longer. Which was going to happen sooner than expected because when he turned his head to the side he found Sasme staring at him in disappointment. He offered a faint smile and it caused her to roll her eyes. 

She had walked in on him bleeding to death and she gave him hell for not asking for help. She said she was lucky she hadn't brought Mav in as she had planned. She had clarified that he was being watched by her grandson, the younger brother of the woman who delivered his pups, after having to push Slick back in the bed so he wouldn't go searching for his eldest.

The granddaughter promptly informed him that his placentae had been abnormal when she handed him the newly cleaned pup (Slick speculated whether the long-necks had known this or not.). She pursed her lips, studying him while he held the child against his chest, and there was recognition in her gaze. Even if she hadn't ended up acknowledging that he was a clone, Slick was bothered by her scrutinization. Not as cold as the Kaminoans but it was close.

He mourned for a brief moment as his pup steadily breathed. Slick would have traded his own life if it meant securing those of the pups he had lost.

Sasme had aided in getting him off the bunk and cleaning him up (He loathed separating from the newborn, but the granddaughter calmed him by stating that she was taking him to see Mav.). He had to stop himself from vomiting on her as soon as he stood up. It was if his organs were being ripped out of his body and the feeling most likely came from the incision along his midsection. Sasme didn't seem to be disturbed by the naked man leaning against her, but, then again, she had witnessed the birth of his child.

Washing the blood off his legs, Sasme had asked him if he had wanted to die and if he had always felt that way. He hadn't lied. His pups should live, but he had no right to. The universe was out for revenge and, at this point, he was waiting for his consequences. She would've smacked him upside the head if he wasn't already in so much pain. Slick had recovered from worse so he was quick to ask Sasme if he could go see his new pup and Mav.

When she chuckled and questioned why he didn't want to see the rest of his pups, Slick had started crying. He wasn't a crier, more prone to burying his emotions much like Cody, so it came as a shock when the tears streamed down his face. He explained that he believed he had given birth to stillborns (He didn't bring up CT-0507 or the hallucination.).

She led him to her own quarters after every speck of blood had been rinsed off. Slick felt like he was intruding, but he entered after spotting his son crawling around on Sasme's bed. He was being monitored by a red, male Twi'lek whose lekkus curved over his shoulders in a similar fashion to Sasme's. Mav was circling his siblings who were asleep in the middle of the bed. All of them were snuggled up in blankets and Slick could make out the youngest, the one he had woken up to. As Mav did his rounds, he sniffed his vode and was pleased with the scent he had grown used to only coming from his buir. Mav chirped when he noticed his carrier had entered the room and he nudged one of the babies with his head to show what he stumbled upon. He seemed extremely proud of his discovery and he appeared to enjoy returning to the aroma of fresh milk.

As he counted the pups, it dawned on him that he had been carrying five which solved the mystery of how heavy his stomach had been. Slick was not mentally prepared for six children. He didn't know if he could _support_ six children, but Sasme had assured him that he would make it through and that she wouldn't stand back. The grandson joked about how Sasme was replacing him with the new pups and Sasme agreed in a serious tone her grandson was not ready for.

He allowed Sasme to name his baby girls (they made him think of CT-0507, for they were identical to the child in his brother's arms) because she had deserved it after everything she had done for him. She had been perplexed by his offer, but she had happily accepted the responsibility.

His second oldest was a girl named Gida and it became apparent that Sasme was going to choose traditional, Twi'lek names for his daughters despite the different naming styles. He decided to fall into line with the meaning of Gida, warrior, and picked out the name Verda for his third child. His second daughter was to be called Hirani which meant beautiful and his sixth child would be Tal which represented how Slick had first seen him.

He named his second youngest, his fifth child, Kote because he was petty and he needed to cover up the old. Every time he would think of Kote or Cody, he would think of his son. An effective way to erase the man he loved. This was his way of getting Cody back for forsaking him. Nothing was more painful than being forgotten by the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. He would rather ignore Cody until death released him than have him come anywhere near their children.

Or so he told himself.


	6. Missed Opportunities

The war ending had shocked Slick, especially with how abrupt it had been. It didn't exactly come out of nowhere but the events leading up to its conclusion had been unexpected, to say the least. Slick had been feeding Verda, Mav playing with his siblings as they waited their turn, when Sasme burst into his room, frantic and haggard, to inform him that the Chancellor had been assassinated. The news hadn't been something he could even process because a little over a week later Chancellor Organa had signed a peace treaty with the Separatists.

Knowing that his life's purpose had been completed while he wasn't a participant in the matter was _weird_. He had never wanted to be part of the war, but its absence was unimaginable. He speculated over what his vode would be forced to do after the war. Would they be given their freedom or moved to a new master? The Jedi and the GAR would have no need for them anymore, so would their lack of use lead to their demise? But, he understood that the Kaminoans had looked into the possibility of the public requiring the clones. He wondered if more vode would end up like CT-0507 or him because of the demand for repopulation on certain planets of the Republic.

Despite his body reverting back to the conformity of his vode, Slick knew that if he had stayed on Kamino his womb would already be full of his third batch of pups. Taking care of six pups while pregnant would have been a difficult task, but then he remembered how some brothers probably had to watch over many more children than that. He held a smidge of morbid curiosity for the subject, for he pondered which vod had been forced to bear the most ade. How many vod had spent the majority of their life being bred?

Slick could grasp how messed up he was. It had taken almost two years to come to terms with how fucked his head had been and still was. That didn't detract from how his aliit was just as screwed as him. If he could still call them his aliit...

Did he still see the Jedi as slavers? Absolutely and they should be held accountable for their part in the enslavement of his brothers, but he also acknowledged they had been forced into a position that went against their beliefs. The entire population of Kaminoans, however, could go up in flames for all Slick cared.

But sometimes Slick would reminiscence on his squad.

Sometimes Slick would feel terrible about accusing Chopper.

Sometimes Slick would catch a glimpse of a younger brother watching over his children.

Sometimes Slick would regret the distance between Cody and his unknown family.

It was after the war had reached its conclusion that Slick began questioning if he should reach out to Cody. All of his pups reminded him of Cody in some way, but they each held the stubbornness of their parents which was to be expected.Mav's tufts of hair were settling into curly locks that made him look almost identical to when Slick was around his age. Slick wondered if the rest were going to be more like Cody or him when it came to appearance.  
  


Mav was getting a steadier hold on Basic and Slick would often slip into Mando'a when Sasme wasn't around. He knew Sasme would speak in Ryl around the pups when he was gone, so it seemed fair to him. Nevertheless, Mav was going to get to the age where he could properly ask who his sire was. As far as Slick could tell, Mav held no solid memories of Kamino and he was grateful.

It was when he was taking orders about a week after the announcement, Kote resting against his hip and Mav grasping onto his legs, that he thought over how he could get back to his alpha. He was drained from the pups and work, so he couldn't catch the notion in time before it fully bloomed into a plan. The sight of his children made him yearn for them to meet their sire. Cody was losing out on building a relationship with the pups he didn't even know existed. Slick was stealing the opportunity for his own pups to know who Kote's namesake was. He had already been selling the lie that Cody was dead to Sasme and Mav, but, with the possibility of freedom for his vode, Slick was rethinking his decision.

Maybe if he knew for certain that his brothers wouldn't be forced into another form of servitude, he wouldn't have been as apprehensive.

Maybe he was just a selfish bastard who didn't trust anyone around his pups.

Or maybe he was scared of being rejected.

There were a few occasions where Slick was mesmerized by a dream of a normal life with Cody. He imagined having a third or fourth batch of pups and being given a choice in their conception. The thought of Cody knocking him up the proper way had gotten him through the lonely nights of the first heat he had since before he was imprisoned. Outside of his hormone-filled delusions, Slick didn't want more kids, but he did wish his pups had been conceived differently.

He made up his mind when he began thinking about hurting himself again...and about harming his pups. There were times Mav tugged at his buir as his siblings cried out for the buir, and Slick could only numbly stare while his son pleaded for him to help. The lapses were few and far between, but it solidified when he glanced at himself in the mirror and his hands went up to touch the side of his face where Cody's scar had been. Tracing the invisible mark, Slick grabbed the razor closest to him only to bring it up to lightly skim his cheek. Tears hit the floor and mixed with blood as he realized that he longed to see his lover even if it was just his own face. It was made worse by the itch to mar the skin of his children (The cut hadn't been permanent. That fact broke him and he hadn't even been able to peek at himself with the line etched in his skin. It was like losing Cody for the final time. Sasme had asked questions about the mark that he had no idea how to answer.).

He was ashamed of himself. He hated himself so much that it had stained the relationship with his pups and he had no doubt that Cody would've been a better parent than him. He was going to give his pups up to Cody and he would leave. Just like he had wanted to do before: take his freedom and leave Cody behind. It was the safest option for them because a traitor had no right in raising children. Despite his love for them, he could only hurt everyone around him.

Slick put the notion of abandoning his children away when Gida and Hirani curled up on his torso, Tal and Verda nuzzled into his side, and Mav snuggled with Kote as they all laid on his bed to sleep. The complete adoration he felt for his children was _real_ and all-encompassing. He didn't want to tear his family apart.

He wanted it to be complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would appreciate comments...


	7. Justice

Cody didn't know how he felt about the war ending and he could see that same opinion in many of his vode. He had spent his entire life focused on a goal that would eventually come to an end, but he had believed he would die before that happened. Now, he had no guide on how to move forward. It was a frightening as it was exciting.

There had been some concern after the initial announcement over the possibility of a mass decommissioning or, as a certain brother dreaded, the use of clones for repopulation. He believed the apprehension to be unfounded until the program was uncovered. Clones, ranging from the physical ages of ten to twenty-two, had become the subject of a test that solidified Cody's view of the Kaminoans.

Once he heard that the majority were either prisoners or supposedly decommissioned, Cody began sifting through the declassified documents to locate Slick. He read every document he happened upon even if it had nothing to do with what he wanted. Hundreds of stories and faces identical to his own blurred together until he was thoroughly disgusted. Every cadet, every medic, every engineer, every pilot, and so many more positions where the only factor that separated them was their secondary sex. A factor that took their life and choice away from them. It made Cody think of how easily Fox, Rex, Keeli, or even Waxer could've ended up like that.

He had no idea if they would've aborted Waxer or Keeli's pups if they had been abducted during their pregnancies. He had no idea if they would've aborted Rex's pups. Based on what he saw, there was no Jedi DNA being used so Keeli and Rex might've been valuable assets. It was mainly trainers and clone commanders, but after a year or so of testing the Kaminoans switched entirely to the commanders.

Cody had to stop at one point to catch his breath when he caught a few, harmless numbers on the datapad: CC-6454. His brother, his beta brother, had been listed as the sire used for a vod who was eighteen and had been in the program for four years. A brother who was currently pregnant with his fifth batch and already had twenty children.

_Twenty fucking children._

He had almost died delivering his second batch of pups because of the high litter number of _nine_ and how young he had been. It broke Cody that Ponds' legacy was his sperm being used to impregnate a five-year-old and that they had actually kept his sperm for safe-keeping in case of his death. Ponds would never hear of his children.

It was revolting and Cody, for a period, pondered how many of his batchmates or fellow commanders had their DNA used for the program. The answer was all of them. All of them had been used at least once. Every CC clone had been used.

 _  
Every single fucking one of them._

Bacara had around one hundred children he had no idea about and it was unfathomable for him to create a substantial relationship with all of them. Cody understood that the Jedi were trying to help the carriers find the sires of their children and to aid them in getting back up on their feet (He had heard that a considerable amount of abortions had already been performed, but not all the brothers desired one.). With the sheer number of them, it was hard to say how successful it would be.

Some of them couldn't remember a life before their isolation and some had been lucky enough to be placed with another clone. Some had been there for weeks and others had been there since the beginning. Some had been abducted as cadets and others had been troopers. Some had miscarried and some hadn't. Some had only one child every batch and others had a sea of pups following them around.

Cody was relieved to find he had sired children for one subject and that subject alone. He wasn't so relieved when he found out who it was. His DNA had been used after the subject had spilled about their past relationship during an interrogation session. It was seen as a form of punishment to force him to carry the child of his forsaken alpha and a means for the Kaminoans to gather information.

It was somewhat terrifying to see his son for the first time in a document where his every action and trait was being scrutinized along with the study of-

Of Slick's pregnancy.

Further along, he found that Slick had been inseminated with a second batch of five pups. There was an abnormality with the placentae, but the Kaminoans would allow it to occur to see the outcome. A few months into the second pregnancy, the data stopped with a paragraph highlighting how dangerous the clone was and that termination would be necessary if the omega was recovered.

He didn't know what was worse: the renewal of uncertainty or that justice for Slick's betrayal had been found through such a heinous act. The second was far worse, but Cody couldn't stop rubbing his neck as he traced photos of Slick with his gaze. It was horrible how Cody pretended the images had been taken in a different context. That he had been the one to capture Slick's progression through his pregnancy. He imagined how Slick would've snapped at him for wanting the pictures, but he knew Slick would've wished for them as well despite his complaints.

Cody didn't think they would've had a biological child if it hadn't been for Slick's imprisonment. Cody had always longed for a pup since he was cadet, but he had respected that Slick had no desire to carry. It was horrible how oddly happy he was about the news of his child's existence.

Forgiving Slick for what he had done was an entirely different question. Cody didn't believe he was capable of forgiving an aruetii and he couldn't go back to someone who had tried to leave him behind. He would try to remain civil for their child, for their children, but their relationship would never completely heal from the betrayal of trust and family. Still, Cody hoped to have _something_ with him.

\------

Slick had Sasme watch the pups while he was searching for Cody. He had planned on working as a mechanic on ships to get passage, but Sasme offered to pay for the flight from Corellia which he had almost refused. Coruscant was the first planet he would head to in his trip and, apparently, his last as well.

He was allowed into the Jedi Temple with little refusal and, to his knowledge, no one recognized him as more than an average clone. The Temple felt serene and welcoming, but Slick didn't trust the people inside enough to let his guard down. However, he could admit that the architecture was beautiful if not slightly hard to maneuver through.

It wasn't until he practically bumped into Rex that anyone took notice of him. He had been staring up at the ceiling in order to take in a mural of Jedi youngling play-fighting with their lightsabers. Moving as he gawked at the clear joy in every face, Slick hadn't been aware of the body he was walking into until they were both mumbling out brief apologies. The blond brother had been checking the very noticeable bump under his blacks before peeking up at Slick.

Rex had always been the type of omega to keel over and please his alpha, but Slick had never considered him getting pregnant during the war (which he had obviously been with how far along he was). He wondered who had knocked Rex up and how they had been able to even get close enough to do that. Slick was glad for Rex, in a way, because there were a few things Cody had informed him about that would make Rex kill them.

But, he still should've expected the snarl that escaped Rex's lips when his stare reached his face. The other omega protectively wrapped their armored arms around their torso and, if it hadn't been for that, Rex would've tackled him. He almost made a break for it like he had so many times before. He couldn't take the fear and anger coming off of Rex in an odorous perfume that let any clone in the area know there was an omega in distress.

He was stopped by a faint voice behind him, "Slick?"

It sounded broken and desperate and surprised and, _kriff_ , why didn't he come back sooner? The man didn’t even come across as angry, only damaged. He couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe, but he wouldn't allow himself to cry in front of Rex or Cody. Collecting himself, Slick turned around to see the face he had craved to see in the mirror.

"Commander," he acted as if there was no time or distance between them. Slick acted as if he hadn't betrayed him, but, most importantly, he acted like there had been nothing tying them together.

It was shattered immediately as Cody stood in front of him only to place a hand on his cheek. Slick wished to lean in and scent him: to nuzzle into his neck and smell the hints of fire he had yearned for even when he denied it. He settled with shifting his head further into Cody's palm and putting his own hand against Cody's. Closing his eyes to savor the moment, Slick was pleased by his next statement.

Cody questioned Slick while he opened up his eyes, "Are the pups alright?"

Slick was hurt that he didn't ask about him but satisfied that he knew about their children. The program must've been revealed, so no more brothers would be tortured like that again. It was enough to make Slick grin and it caused Cody to gently stroke Slick's cheek with his thumb, also grinning.

"They're fine," Slick choked out and he hadn't even noticed that he had been crying. The love Cody was showcasing was something Slick hadn't felt in years. He continued with pride as he divulged the names of their pups, "Mav, Gida, Verda, Hirani, Kote, and Tal."

Cody hummed contentedly at the names and Slick's inner omega was preening at his alpha accepting his choices.

"Would you like to go somewhere more private?" Cody asked as his eyes motioned to where Rex was awkwardly standing, a hand on his belly and a scowl tinting his face.

Slick moved Cody's hand so it was at his side, squeezing it tightly as to never let go ever again, "That would be great."

Slick didn't expect Cody to fully forgive him. He didn't expect Cody to get back with him. Yet, for these few moments, they were allowed to pretend everything was alright. He didn't care if Cody only wanted to yell at him as long as _Cody_ was there. Any form would be acceptable. They didn't let go of each other the entire time Cody led him to wherever they would resume their conversation. Slick's attention was completely focused on Cody and the warmth of calloused fingers on his own, but that changed when he spotted another clone out of the corner of his eye.

CT-0507 seemed older and healthier since the last time Slick had seen him. He carried the daughter Slick usually hallucinated by his side who was softly giggling as her buir tickled her.

Only seeing the brother's back hadn't stopped Slick from catching how the grey cloth (just like the one he wore when he died) curved around his stomach. A light, small bump showed that the ghost would be giving his daughter a sibling.

CT-0507 would haunt him for the rest of his life, but the vod appeared tranquil as he beheld his daughter with adoration and tenderness. He was completely absorbed in taking in the child. Slim could pick up a faint scent of milk in the air while the brother absentmindedly glimpsed away from the child for just a second.

He looked Slick dead in the eye like when they began their short time together, but, instead of stupor and tears, the brother smiled at Slick. It was bright and so lifelike that Slick could believe that the vod had never died. It was like the vod was forgiving him for how he had wronged him and Slick couldn't take that from his own mind. Nevertheless...

It felt like a new start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I obviously didn’t put every detail because some stuff will be revealed in Natural Defiance.

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr is @iputtheaceindisgrace


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